Car-coupling.



B. M. GRATE.

GAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1910.

1,032,751. Patented July 16, 1912.

6 a 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MIM M Patented July 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. GRATE.

COUPLING.

FILED NOV. 2, 191 0.

GAR

APPLICATION WWW/sow B. M. GRATE.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1910.

Patented July 16, 1912.

3 SHEETS'SHEBT 3.

INVENTOR WITNESSES a/W Alto L9! BUNDY MATHUES GRATE, 0F DAYTON, OHIO.

GAR-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 2, 1910.

Patented July 116, 1912. Serial No 590,380.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bun DY M. GRATE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of ltfontgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

l /fy invention relates to improvements in car couplers and has Jarticular reference to an improved form of automatically operating coupler.

'ihe leading objectof my invention the provision of an improved automatic saiety coupler which will serve to automatically lock the knuckle thereof in engagement with the knuckle of an adjacent coupler and which can be quickly and positively disengaged from said knuckle by the elevation of the locking pin, and which coupler will be at all times in condition for automatic engagement with a coupler contacting therewith.

A. further object of my invention is the provision of a simple, durable and efficient coupler which will have a minimum number of parts all of durable construction and which will have no springs or other delicate mechanism liable to get out of order.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic coupler of this character in which the slight wearing of the parts occasioned by friction against each other will serve rather to enhance the ready and easy operation of the coupler than to impair its efficiency, and consequently to provide a coupler having greater life than those now in use and one in which the parts subject to wear can be readily replaced.

To attain the desired objects, my invention comprises a coupler head having an improved pin receiving socket formed therein, and an improved knuckle and locking pin having co-acting faces for operating the coupler, theinvention further residing in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts for serv ice substantially as described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my complete coupler. Fig. 2 represents a vertical sectional view thereof, showing the knuckle in locked position. Fig. 3 represents a sectional View on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a sectional View on the line 4% of Fig. 2, illustrating the automatic locking. Fig. 5 represents a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 illustrating the automatic unlocking and opening of the knuckle as the pin is raised. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of the knuckle removed and illustrating especially the inner end thereof, and, Fig. 7 represents a side elevation of the locking pin. Fig. 8 represents a horizontal sectional view showing the parts in the position they assume when the coupling is coupler, and Fig. 9 represents a similar view will the parts in the position they occupy before coupling.

In the drawings, in which similar characters of reference are employed to denote corresponding parts in the several views, the numeral 1 denotes the coupler head, of ordinary construct-ion, having the draw bar 2 secured thereto and having the offset or recessed lug 3 formed on its lower side to receive the end of the locking pin l, said pin having formed on its upper end the eye 5 to receive the chain 6 for connecting the pin with a customary operating lever.

The knuckle, as sh vn in Fig. 6 has the customary toe portion 7 for interlocking en gagement with the other knuckle of the adjacent coupler, and has the heel S with a flat face 9 to be engaged by the locking pin, while the other faces of the heel are inclined and tapered to provide the upper inclined face 10 and the lower face 11, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

Passing through the opening 12 in the head is the pin 4 having its lower end engaged in the recess 13 in the lug 3, and I have shown the pin as having a diagonally cut lower face to correspond to the sloping bottom of the recess. By reference to the drawings, and especially to Fig. 7 it will be seen that the lower portion of the locking pin 4 has a recess formed therein with a downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper face 14, a rearwardly inclined face 15 and a rearwardly and upwardly inclined bottom face 16, said three faces converging toward a common point, while a portion of the side forming the face 14 is cut away to provide the recess 17 to receive and engage the face 9 of the heel to lock the knuckle in position, and a portion of the face 15 is cut away providing a recess 18 at the base of and extending farther into the pin than the recess 17, the recess 18 affording a passage for the end of the heel.

The operation of my improved coupler is clearly illustrated in the drawings, from which it will be seen that when the coupler is open the contact of an opposing knuckle or other force with the face 19 thereof will swing the knuckle on its pivot bolt 20 which secures the knuckle to the coupler head, said swinging of the knuckle bringing its upper inclined face 10 into engagement with the upper face 14: of the recess in the pin, and on account of the inclination of the said faces the pressure on the face 19 of the heel will cause the inward movement of the heel, camming or forcing the pin upward until the heel is engaged in the recess 17 of the pin, when the pin will fall by gravity and securely lock the knuckle in position.

To open the knuckle, through suitable means I exert an upward tension on the pin, and, as the pin is raised so that the face 9 of the heel is no longer lockingly engaged thereby, the opposing kunckle of the coupler, as it is withdrawn, will swing the knuckle open, the heel 8 passing through the cut-away portion of the pin, when the pin may be dropped and the coupler will be again in position to be automatically locked when engaged by a suitable force.

It will be observed bf reference to Fig. 7 that the lower end of the pin l extends outward beyond the plane of the pin proper, the diagonal under face thereof permitting it to be inserted through the Opening 12, and said end thus provides additional weight at the bottom of the pin and provides a longer engaging face which will be less liable to slip by the heel of the knuckle in opening the coupler.

The advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to all those conversant with the art and it will be seen that I have provided a strong, durable and eflicient automatica-lly operating coupler which is con sequently extremely safe to operate and which will be subject to equal wear at the points of friction and which will operate equally well after said parts have become worn and in which either the knuckle or pin or both may be replaced at but slight said head and comprising a toe portion adapted to interlock with the corresponding knuckle of an adjacent coupler and a heel portion having a fiat face and an upper and a lower inclined face, combined with a locking pin passing through an opening in the coupler head and engaging in the recess of the lug formed thereon, said pin having a diagonally cut lower face adapted to correspond with the inclined bottom of the recess and having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined upper face, a rearwardly inclined face, and a rearwardly and upwardly in clined bottom face, said faces converging toward a common point, and one side of the pin having a part cut away to form a recess to receive and engage the flat face of the heel portion of the knuckle and said side and rear faces having a part cut away to form a recess to provide a passage for the end of the heel portion of the knuckle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

' BUNDY MATHUES GRATE.

Vitnesses:

J OHN K. GRATE, ERNEST CATTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

